Class

Mapping Your Personal Universe: Entryways into Creative Nonfiction

Many writers who want to write creative nonfiction (whether that’s an essay, memoir, or other form of personal writing) maybe feel daunted by the idea of how to begin to write about their own lives. Likewise, many established writers may find themselves in a moment of drought or doubt. In this course, we will work together to generate a list of potent possibilities for your writing (otherwise known as "Your Personal Universe") that will spark your writing practice. By looking at the ways that other writers (such as Hanif Abdurraqib, Judith Kitchen, and Kiese Laymon) have taken small ideas and expanded upon them, we will explore a variety of entryways into writing about your own life and have time to practice these techniques. Students will leave with a list of topics to write about, prompts, and examples. Class will be a mix of reading, time to write, and time to share. There is no required reading or writing beforehand.